Elevator safety lifting support

ABSTRACT

An elevator safety lifting support comprises a base, a stand emanating perpendicularly from the base and having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of an elevator, and a handle. The stand may be cylindrical in shape. The handle may be shaped for attachment to a hook of a winch line.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Drilling rigs employ elevators to raise drill pipe and other drillstring components out of the well bore or to lower them into the well bore. Elevators, such as side door elevators, typically have arms or doors connected by a hinged portion that allows them to be opened and closed around the various drilling components. When the elevator arms are in a closed position, they are latched together to engage the drillstring component, such as a pipe, in a load-bearing fashion. The component has a shoulder or taper that is greater than the inside diameter of the elevator when it is in a closed position, such that the elevator acts as a clamp when closed by a latch or similar manner of being secured. When the elevator is opened, the two arms of roughly the same size swing away from each other so that the elevator may be removed from the component. An elevator is suspended by elevator ears to bails or links that connect to a hook that is attached, directly or with other intervening components, to a travelling block.

When the elevator is removed from a component, the typical practice is to let it rest on the rig floor, off to the side and out of the way from the other components being handled by the drilling crew. However, setting the elevator on the floor has some disadvantages. In cold weather climates, the elevator can become frozen to the floor, and it is not uncommon in lifting the elevator from the floor to sustain injuries to the hands or arms, for example by having them get pinched by the elevator or having the elevator smash against the hands of the rig worker. Also, lifting the elevator off the floor can be awkward and cumbersome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an elevator safety lifting support for an elevator of a rig comprising a base, a stand emanating perpendicularly from the base and having an outside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the elevator, and a handle.

In a further aspect of the invention, the stand is cylindrical in shape.

In a further aspect of the invention, the handle is shaped for attachment to a hook of a winch line.

These and other aspects of the invention are set out in the claims, which are incorporated here by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the figures, in which like reference characters denote like elements, by way of example, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an elevator safety lifting support;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the elevator safety lifting support of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of an elevator safety lifting support;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the elevator safety lifting support of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the arm of the elevator safety lifting support of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the base of the elevator safety lifting support of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 7A to 7H show a method for supporting an elevator with an elevator safety lifting support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the claims, the word “comprising” is used in its inclusive sense and does not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite article “a” before a claim feature does not exclude more than one of the feature being present. A “drilling rig” refers to any type of rig used in the oil and gas industry, and is not limited only to rigs specifically set up for drilling, but may include workover rigs, rod units specifically designed for running and retrieving rod strings, or other types of rigs that employ elevators. A “working height” includes any height off the floor of a rig suitable for performing the required tasks in a manner that is not unduly awkward or uncomfortable, such as a height roughly at waist level for a rig worker.

As shown in FIG. 1, an elevator safety lifting support 10 has a base 12 and a stand 14 perpendicular to the base 12. The base 12 may be made of any suitable material, but in a preferred embodiment, the base 12 is made of ⅜′ steel plate cut in a rectangular fashion with dimensions of 12″ by 15″. The elevator safety lifting support 10 has a handle 16 attached to the stand 14. It should be understood that the handle 16 can be any size and shape suitable for attaching the hook of a winch line, for example an eye cut directly into the stand 14. As seen in FIG. 2, the stand 14 is preferably cylindrical having a circular cross-section and having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of an elevator.

The stand 14 may be, for example, a pipe with an outside diameter of 3.5″ that is 14″ long. The stand 14 may be welded to the base 12, or otherwise attached in a suitable fashion. The stand 14 and the base 12 may also be formed from a single workpiece, but in a preferred embodiment, and for practical purposes, manufacturing of the support stand 10 is simpler when the base 12 and the stand 14 are separate workpieces attached together.

As shown in FIG. 3, the stand 14 may consist of an arm 18 and a sleeve 20. As seen in FIG. 4, the sleeve 20 may have a cylindrical shape, or some other shape for inserting through an elevator. The sleeve preferably has an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of an elevator.

As seen in FIG. 5, the arm 18 has a top 22, sides 24, a bottom 26, and extensions 28 extending outwardly from the bottom 24 perpendicularly to the sides 22. The arm 18 has a rectangular cross-section 30, as seen in FIG. 3. The arm 18 has a handle 32 formed by cutting an eye or similar shape out of the plate so that the hook of a winch line can be attached to the elevator safety lifting support 10. In a preferred embodiment, the arm 18 may be cut from ½″ steel plate and be 18″ long from the bottom 26 to the top 22 and the extensions 28 may be 1″ of the total length. However, the arm 18 may be made of any suitable material. If the stand 14 has an arm 18 and a sleeve 20, the sleeve 20 may have a diameter slightly greater than the distance between the sides 24 of the arm so that the sleeve 20 fits snugly when the sleeve 20 is being fitted over the arm 18.

The sleeve 20 has a top 34, sides 36, a bottom 38, and forms a bore 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the diameter of the bore 40 is slightly greater than the rectangular cross-section 30 of the arm 18. The sleeve 20, in one embodiment, is a pipe with an outside diameter of 3½″ and a length of 14″. Likewise, the sleeve 20 could be a pipe with any outside diameter that was smaller than the inside diameter of the type of elevator being used.

As shown in FIG. 6, in a preferred embodiment, the base 12 has a hole 42 that has a shape corresponding to the rectangular cross-section 30 of the arm 18. As shown in FIG. 3, to assemble the elevator safety lifting support 10, the arm 18 is inserted through the hole 42 until it is prevented from further insertion by the extensions 28. The arm 18 can then be welded or otherwise attached to the base 12. The arm 18 should have an handle 32 cut into the arm 18 before inserting the arm 18 through the hole 42. Once the arm 18 is attached to the base 12, the sleeve 20 can be slid down over the arm 18 and then welded or otherwise attached to the base 12. In order to make the elevator safety lifting support 10 more stable, base legs 44 can be attached to the base 12, preferably by welding. The base legs 44 are preferably made of 1″ or greater square tubing having a length equal to the length of the base 12. Once the elevator safety lifting support 10 has been fully assembled, all welds must be x-rayed and M.P.I. (Magnetic Particle Inspection) inspected.

A method of supporting an elevator is shown in FIGS. 7A to 7H. As shown in FIG. 7A, an elevator safety lifting support 10 is provided and rests on the floor of a rig. In FIG. 7B, an elevator 47 is shown removed from conventional components of the rig (not shown). The elevator 47 during this time is still suspended from a conventional travelling block and hook (not shown) by bails 50A and 50B which are connected to the elevator 47 by elevator ears 52A and 52B. Once the elevator 47 is in a position away from the drill string, the elevator safety lifting support 10 can be picked up and slid up and through the elevator 47, as seen in FIG. 7C. In FIG. 7D, the hook 54 of a winch line 56 is attached to the elevator safety lifting support 10. In FIG. 7E, the weight of the elevator 47 is taken off of the bails 50A and 50B by taking the slack out of the winch line 56. In FIG. 7F, the elevator ears 52A and 52B are then opened and the elevator 47 is removed from the bails 50A and 50B. In FIG. 7G, the weight of the elevator 47 is now completely on the elevator safety lifting support 10 which is attached to the hook 54 of the winch line 56. In FIG. 7H, the elevator 47 is then moved off to the side and the elevator safety lifting support 10 is set down on the floor of the rig someplace out of the way. The elevator 47 is then resting on the elevator safety lifting support 10, and the elevator safety lifting support 10 separates the elevator 47 from the floor 46 of the rig.

When the elevator 47 needs to be put back into use, the hook 54 of the winch line 56 is attached to the elevator safety lifting support 10, and the elevator 47 and the elevator safety lifting support 10 are raised to a working height, a level roughly waist high. The elevator ears 52A and 52B are opened, and the elevator 47 is set back on the bails 50A and 50B. The elevator ears 52A and 52B are closed and the winch line 56 is given slack until the elevator 47 is once again supported by the bails 50A and 50B. The hook 54 of the winch line 56 is then removed from the elevator safety lifting support 10, and the elevator safety lifting support 10 is then set down out of the way until required.

The elevator safety lifting support 10 of the present invention keeps the elevator 47 separated from the floor 46 throughout the day and eliminates the need to stoop down and retrieve the elevator 47 directly from the floor 46. The simple attachment of the hook 54 of a winch line 56 to the elevator safety lifting support 10 makes hoisting the elevator 47 off the floor 46 a safe, easy task without being awkward or cumbersome. The elevator 47 can then be quickly and safely brought to a working height around waist level for attaching to bails 50A and 50B. Likewise, removing the elevator 47 from the bails 50A and 50B can also be done at a working height around waist level. The elevator safety lifting support 10 is lightweight and easy to handle and can be made out of common and durable materials.

Immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments of the invention described here without departing from the invention. 

1. An elevator safety lifting support for an elevator of a drilling rig comprising: a base; a stand emanating perpendicularly from the base and having an outside diameter smaller than an inside diameter of the elevator; and a handle.
 2. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 1 in which the stand is cylindrical in shape.
 3. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 1 in which the handle is shaped for attachment to a hook of a winch line.
 4. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 1 in which the stand further comprises: an arm and a sleeve; the arm having a rectangular shape in a lateral cross-section, a top, sides, and a bottom, the bottom having extensions extending outwardly from the bottom perpendicularly to the sides; the sleeve having a cylindrical shape, a top, a bottom, and sides and forming a bore, the bore having an inside diameter greater than a distance between the sides of the arm for a snug fit when the sleeve is fitted over the arm; and the arm and the sleeve being attached to the base.
 5. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 4 in which the top of the arm extends beyond the top of the sleeve when the sleeve is fitted over the arm.
 6. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 4 in which the handle is a lifting eye cut into the arm.
 7. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 4 in which the base comprises a hole having a shape corresponding to the rectangular shape of the arm.
 8. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 7 in which the arm is inserted through the hole of the base until the extensions of the arm prevent the arm from being inserted any further and the sleeve is fitted over the arm after the arm has been inserted through the hole of the base.
 9. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 1 used for supporting an elevator off a floor of a drilling rig.
 10. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 1 used for lifting an elevator off a floor of a drilling rig.
 11. The elevator safety lifting support of claim 1 used for lowering an elevator to a floor of a drilling rig. 